


You are Home to Me

by ChelleLeigh1917



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: 18th Century, Alternate Universe - Historical, American Revolution, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 13:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1306333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelleLeigh1917/pseuds/ChelleLeigh1917
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He could still remember carving their initials in a tree which had marked the boundary of the York and Neville properties in Virginia. All of those hopes and dreams had changed in an instant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You are Home to Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thecivilunrest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecivilunrest/gifts).



_London 1787_

As the carriage stopped in front of the brick townhouse, Richard took a deep breath. It had been ten years since he’d last saw her. Anne Neville, the woman he’d thought since childhood he would marry. He could still remember carving their initials in a tree which had marked the boundary of the York and Neville properties in Virginia. All of those hopes and dreams had changed in an instant.

Ten years ago though, as the war had raged, Anne’s father had removed the Neville family back to England, and Anne had been lost to him. Anne’s father had remained loyal to the Crown, and Virginia had no longer been hospitable to one of his politics. 

Somehow, even with the war raging, Richard had received occasional news of Anne’s life. The day he’d learned she’d married Edward Lancaster, Earl of Westminster; he’d known Anne was lost to him forever. 

Richard had rose quickly through the ranks of the Continental Army, becoming an aide de camp to General Washington himself. After Cornwallis’ Army had surrendered at Yorktown, Richard, like many of his fellow officers, had been granted large tracts of land in the new territory of Kentucky. After settling on his land, which he’d named Middleham for personal reasons, he’d quickly become one of the leading powers in the territory. As such he was chosen to travel long with a delegation to London to negotiate the British leaving their Ohio Valley forts. Just prior to leaving for England, Richard learned that Anne’s husband had died nearly a year and a half earlier after falling from his horse. 

After arriving in London, Richard had made discreet inquiries about Anne, and he’d learned she’d not remarried yet. She did not live on Lancaster’s estate, but in their London townhouse. As he stood outside the townhouse, Richard could not think of anything that was more different than his new home. Oh, he was building a beautiful home, which would be fine for any woman, he had land, and wealth in abundance, yet he was certainly not an English aristocrat. 

He did not show his nervousness as he awaited Anne in her parlor, and at the first sound of her soft footsteps, he turned to face her. “My lady.” He smiled softly. 

“Richard!” Anne cried happily, forgetting propriety she hugged him. “Oh, it is so good to see you.” 

Richard hugged her, his senses drinking in the feel of her in his arms, and the smell of her perfume. “It is good to see you as well.”

“What brings you to London?” Anne asked curiously. She’d always thought she’d never see him again, and the thought had always made her very sad. 

“Work for the American government.” He said softly. 

Anne smiled. “Oh, that is wonderful.” She said as the maid brought tea into the parlor for them. 

Richard could not help but laugh as he saw the tea. Yes, he was clearly in England, and he’d always liked tea. In fact it had been years since he’d had tea. 

Anne laughed softly. “I hope you do not mind.” 

“Of course not.” He said softly, as she poured the tea. 

For a bit, they sat and talk of little, nonsensical things, neither of them touching upon their deepest thoughts. 

Anne could not help but wonder why Richard was actually there. Clearly he’d not forgotten about her. And what did he want now?

Richard found himself staring at her several times. In his memory, she’d been the young girl she’d been when her family had left for England, but now she was a woman. A very beautiful woman. Her year of mourning was up, and he could not help but wonder how many suitors she had for her hand. 

“Why did you come, Richard?” Anne asked. “If you’d not come I would have never known you were in London.” 

“Anne…” He said softly. “The truth is I could tell you that I just came to see you as an old friend, but that would be a lie.” He said softly. 

“Why did you come?” Anne asked softly, again. 

“Because even after all of these years, I’ve never forgotten you.” He said softly. 

Anne smiled. “Nor, I you.” She said softly. 

“You’ve not?” He asked. 

Anne shook her head. “My marriage…” She took a deep breath. “It was never of my choice. A marriage into the nobility, it was a good match to Father, but I quickly learned my happiness was secondary to everything else.”

“That’s why you’ve not remarried?” He guessed. 

Anne looked up. “I’ve decided that if I remarry, it will be for love.” 

Richard was quiet for a moment, then the question that was foremost on his mind just slipped out. “Do you love me, Anne?” 

Anne gasped in shock. “W-what?”

“Do you love me, Anne?” He said earnestly. “I’m almost certain we loved each other when we were young. I know I loved, no….I love you.”

“You love me?” Anne said softly. 

“Yes.” He said softly. “I always have.” 

Anne blinked away the tears. No, she was not going to cry. She would not. “Always, even after…”

“I know your father’s decisions were not necessarily yours.” He said softly. “And you were young, I probably should have never asked you to run away with me.” 

She smiled a bit. “Do you know how often I wish I had?”

“Then come with me.” He said softly. “Marry me, and let me take you home.”

There was no hesitation in Anne’s voice as she answered, “Yes.”

Richard got up, and held his hand out to her. Anne immediately put her hand into his, and let him pull her up. Then for the first time in a decade she was in his arms. As they kissed, she could remember all the times they’d kissed back then, all the liberties they’d taken because they’d just known they would marry. 

“I don’t live in Virginia anymore.” Richard said softly, as he pulled back. “I was granted land after the war in Kentucky. Everything is new there, you’ll love it.” He said softly. “I have quite a bit of land, and the house...well I’ve named it Middleham.” He said softly. 

“Middleham.” She murmured. “After my home.” 

“Our home, Anne. Middleham is our home.” Richard brushed a curl back from her neck. 

“Do you know what I’ve realized, Richard?” Anne asked softly. 

“What is that, sweetheart?” He asked. 

“You are home to me.” She said softly. 

“And you are home to me.” He murmured.

**Author's Note:**

> Historical Note: 
> 
> I have been planning an 18th Century AU fic for several months, and this could possibly be considered a small preview for some of the choices I may make when writing it, eventually. 
> 
> The American Revolution was of course a civil war in many ways. Nearly 10% of the colonial population remained loyal to the Crown. I chose making Richard a Patriot and Anne's family Loyalist in order to drive our young couple apart. In this universe Richard Neville took his family back to England in 1777. Anne was 16 when they left, and Richard was 19. 
> 
> The Virigina legislature granted lands in Kentucky as a way of paying wages to their Revolutionary War veterans, Richard has bought the lands of other veterans and has become quite a substantial landowner in what is now the central part of Kentucky. 
> 
> While in England, Anne married Edward Lancaster, the Earl of Winchester. The marriage was not successful at all, as the two were not comptiable.


End file.
